My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

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Pacafeliz
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My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by Pacafeliz » Wed May 25, 2022 9:47 pm

Well yesterday another one came in, but I'd been on the lookout for one of these for a long time - a 70s Carlsbro Stingray head!
Seller wasn't sure if it was working, it only turned on but he didn't have a cab or cable to check. So I took the plunge with a low-ball offer and we did it.

Arrived yesterday, terribly packed with no isolation materials at all... but it works!!!
Loving it, especially the SUZZ/fuzz. Reverb isn't working but I'll look into that today.

...made me think, man this has gotten kinda outta hand, shit! I've now got so many of these old SS amps, but since they're so cheap and most of them (heads) are so slim, it's not so bad.
Lemme try to list them all...

- Carlsbro Stingray head
- Jimmy Bean (by Orange) head
- 2x Simms Watts AP100 heads: two different versions (black and red face, so to say)
- 2x HH IC100L heads
- HH IC100S head
- HH IC100 head
- HH IC100 2x12 combo: another, earlier version than the head, with the old Celestion greenbacks with the HH sticker over it. Same combo as J Spaceman's
- 2x HH V-S Musician heads (one at the rehearsal space)
- HH V-S Musician 2x12 combo
- HH V-S Bass head
- HH Studio Fifty 1x12 combo
(- HH IC100 2x12 combo at a friend's house in Bremen, I still gotta go pick it up someday, If it still exists...)
- HH MA100 PA amp (currently not working/needs caps)
- Pignose Crossmix 2x10 combo
- Crate CR-1 (the original actual crate amp!)
- Earth amp (chopped up Peavey clone, can't remember model, have it stashed away somewhere)
- Vox Supertwin (mini combo w/reverb, 2x5 combo iirc)
- 2x Vox Escort busker amps 1x5 iirc
- 2x Pignose busker amps (one 70s, one 90s)
- Guyatone mini stack (looks so cool, head and cab, about 30cm tall)
- Guyatone Superlead head in an old MusicMan headshell (somewhere in the cellar, right!)
- about 3 tiny japanese portable amps (wooden Yamaha, the other ones being Aria or Boogie or something like that...)

HOLY SHIT!!! :wtf:

I
MUST
STOP

Anyone else into that kinda weird shit? :fp:
Last edited by Pacafeliz on Thu May 26, 2022 1:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by JSett » Wed May 25, 2022 9:54 pm

Not gonna lie, Pat, that's a lot of fucking amps :D :D
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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by MattK » Wed May 25, 2022 10:47 pm

I should hook you up with my friend in Tokyo who is forever buying those immense Yamaha SS amps from the 70s for peanuts. Rather expensive to ship though.

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Wed May 25, 2022 11:47 pm

There's a hole in your collection, Pat - I spy a distinct lack of Laney. I had a wee early '70s Laney combo with tremolo (1x8" or something along those lines) and it sounded brilliant.

Can't believe my attitude was one or two amps is enough in those days and sold it. ;)

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by Pacafeliz » Thu May 26, 2022 1:39 am

UlricvonCatalyst wrote:
Wed May 25, 2022 11:47 pm

Can't believe my attitude was one or two amps is enough in those days and sold it. ;)
:D it happens... :ph34r:
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by fever606 » Thu May 26, 2022 2:00 am

That Stingray sounds cool and I love me an IC-100 as much as the next guy - thanks to Daniel Ash and J - but this… THIS…
Pacafeliz wrote:
Wed May 25, 2022 9:47 pm
- Jimmy Bean (by Orange) head
I would straight up slap a ham to get my hands on a Jimmy Bean!

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Thu May 26, 2022 2:39 am

fever606 wrote:
Thu May 26, 2022 2:00 am
That Stingray sounds cool and I love me an IC-100 as much as the next guy - thanks to Daniel Ash and J - but this… THIS…
Pacafeliz wrote:
Wed May 25, 2022 9:47 pm
- Jimmy Bean (by Orange) head
I would straight up slap a ham to get my hands on a Jimmy Bean!
I have to confess that's a new one on me. Pics, Pat?

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by UlricvonCatalyst » Thu May 26, 2022 2:42 am

For the record I only have a modest 3 x H/H heads and 1 x H/H combo at the moment. Sold a Carlsboro Stingray 2x12 combo with tremolo and Celestions not long ago for £60 (priced to fly out the door quickly prior to moving house/renting storage).

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by Pacafeliz » Thu May 26, 2022 3:52 am

Imagefotoshochladen

Jimmy in the lower right. I've actually had that one for about 5 years, and I also own the matching jeans-and-leather-clad 4x12 cab, but still gotta find a way to have it driven down to me from my friend's cellar in Hamburg.

It's a very unique beast but sounds pretty good. Weird that there's a bunch of push buttons on it, but hey, it was around the same time when Orange brought out the original OMEC amps.

Been thinking about making a demo video series about all these solid state amps, just for fun. Will try to arrange that, stay tuned!
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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by s_mcsleazy » Thu May 26, 2022 4:37 am

i spy a copicat case.

also you need more old british shite in there. FAL stuff is fairly cheap when you find it. the kestral is the one i would go for, it's got surprisingly good tremolo.
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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by Pacafeliz » Thu May 26, 2022 4:48 am

Yep I often see them FALs here for cheap, too. Some with expensive Celestions in them, if I were after them. But then again, I really don't want/need any more amps... *Sigh*

And yes, there's 2 copicats, one Super IC I believe, the other is a Shadows one with a tube in it.
I had my tape echo phase, too, and a bunch of them around the place...
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by Pacafeliz » Fri May 27, 2022 8:42 pm

Oh right, I also have a V1 Marshall Lead 12, but that one's from the 80s... heh
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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by Kinx » Fri May 27, 2022 11:46 pm

Those HH IC heads are awesome! our former keyboard player scored one for like 100e on a flea market and it's one of the best amps I've ever heard.
If you don't wanna go vintage and still want a great solid state amp, Ampeg Micro VR with matching cab is a great option for both bass and guitar.

my current obsession are vintage Hohner Orgaphon amps - solid state preamp, tube power amps. They sound really nasty on their own, but compliment other amps really, really well in the mix - my all time favourite recording setup is 50/50 blend of Mesa/Boogie Mark I and Orgaphon 20 MH as can be heard here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d5vHlfbZvM
Check out my band, The Atavists ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG-HZtrljMg

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by MrShake » Sat May 28, 2022 3:27 am

I don't know why this stuff was derided so long, it's a unique cool flavor of amp that slips through the cracks these days between vintage tubes and digital modellers.

Gorgeous collection. And I know I'm a one-note song around here, but have you considered a Kustom tuck and roll SS? Mine seems to have that cool "early solid state" sound, kind of smoky and woody. Worth looking into if you ever see one.

Because you DEFINITELY need more amps. 8) ;D

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Re: My obsession: 70s solid-state amps (outta control)

Post by s_mcsleazy » Sun May 29, 2022 3:47 pm

i also wanna say something weird about SS amps i feel people don't talk about enough. i see a lot of doom guys talk about how they need the 100+ watt tube amps for the clean headroom to take their pedals but i feel like a good SS amp can kinda do that already. i like a model t as much as the next guy but if you want a clean pedal platform, a good SS amp can do that well

i figured i should add a few solid state amps i quite like just for the fuck of it.

fal kestral: best tremolo i've ever had on an amp.
carlsbro stingray super: combine it with a DOD metal maniac for a nasty ass skate-punk guitar tone
marshall mosfet lead 100: not from the 70's but the closest you can get to a jmp on a budget imho.
honer 1230: just an all round fun amp.
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